Eyes in the back of her head
by ladyscorpio0088
Summary: Kurama's mother is just a human...right?
1. Chapter 1

He was going insane. He had followed the woman beneath him for the last week, trying to figure out her secret. Her life was frustratingly mundane. She cleaned her home, cooked meals for her husband and children. She went into town for shopping and visiting friends. Her aura wasn't strong, and he was sure she didn't know that he was following her. Once again he came to the conclusion, as he had several times in the last week, that she was simply a human. However, his doubts still plagued him. Growling in frustration, he jumped into the upper story window of the woman's home. If his presence startled the room's occupant, they gave no indication.

"Hiei! To what do I owe the pleasure of your company?" Kurama chuckled as he asked the question. He had felt Hiei tailing his mother home. Kurama could sense his mother in the kitchen, dealing with the groceries she had brought from the store. Hiei paced in the space beside Kurama's bed. Kurama worked on his homework as he waited patiently. He knew there was no sense in trying to rush his friend, and his patience was rewarded.

"Your mother is just a plain human!" Hiei finally stated, irritated. His pacing got faster.

"Yes, of course…..?" Kurama answered, clearly puzzled.

"Then how does she know?! Always, she knows when you go somewhere, or need something! She says that she has eyes in the back of her head, but she has no demonic energy at all! How does she do it?" Hiei plopped down to sit in the windowsill, as Kurarma gaped at him.

"Eyes in the back of…. Hiei, what in the world are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about last week, after our run in with those disgusting rat demons! She came in to fuss over you, and I had to hide in your closest!" Kurama thought back to the night in question. They had encountered some rat demons that had set up shop in the human world selling black market goods. Unfortunately for the rats, some of those goods included human slaves. Just because the Spirit Detective team was no longer employed by Koenma didn't mean they were going to stand some low level scum breaking the peace they had worked so hard for. Kurama had ended up with a nasty scratch down the length of his arm, and when Hiei had finally gotten him home, he was faint from blood loss. Shiori had come in within minutes

 _Kurama hissed in pain as he slid his arm out of his sleeve to look at the wound. It was deep and long, but no arteries had been cut. Hiei grunted as he looked at it with a critical eye._

 _"Might need stitches, but we better clean it first. Those pathetic excuses for demons were filthy. Where do you keep your supplies?" Kurama was about to answer when there was a knock at his door, and Hiei flashed to the closest as it opened to reveal Shiori with a basin of water and other medical supplies._

 _"Mother! I didn't mean to wake you up!" Kurama paled as he held his arm, trying to hide the scratch, which was useless._

 _"Hush, Shuiichi. The only time you sneak in is if you are hurt. Let me see." Shiori took his arm gently and started to clean in. The muscles in her face tightened as she saw how deep the cut was, but she made no comment. After the wound was cleaned, she began to stitch it closed._

 _"You know the new construction over in the shopping district? I had met up with some friends this afternoon, and when I was coming home, I tripped and fell against some rebar that was piled up." Kurama said as the tension built up. "I didn't realize that the cut was so deep until I was almost home and felt dizzy."_

 _"Well, it's a good thing you are up to date on your shots, though you may need to go get a booster for tetanus. It's nothing to play chances with." Shiori wrapped Kurama arm and tied the bandage neatly._

 _"I'm sorry Mother, I didn't mean to be such a bother to you. I am sorry I woke you." Shiori laughed lightly_

 _"Oh son, what kind of mother would I be if I didn't have eyes in the back of my head? I have two boys to take care of. If I'm not on my toes, you both will end up in a lot worse shape than you are right now." Shiori picked up the ruined shirt and gathered all the supplies up before kissing Kurama on his forehead. "Get some rest dear."_

Kurama started to laugh as he realized where Hiei's confusion stemmed from. Hiei frowned; irritated that Kurama wasn't taking him seriously.

"Hiei, she wasn't being literal. It's a figure of speech that human parents use. It doesn't mean that they actually have extra eyes. It means that parents are more observant than their children give them credit for. That they usually know more about their children's lives then they...let…" Kurama paused, a concerned look on his face. A knock sounded at the door, startling both boys as the door opened. Shiori stood there, with a tray of tea with two cups.

"Here you go boys. This should tide you over until supper, which will be done in about an hour. You will be staying, won't you Hiei?" Shiori smiled at his startled expression, and his stomach chose that moment to announce that he had neglected to eat at all that day as it growled. Shiori's smile grew wider. "I'll take that as a yes then dear, wonderful. You boys remember to wash up before supper" Shiori set the tea tray on the desk, and paused at the door before she left.

"Oh, and Hiei dear," Shiori smiled at him again, "You don't always have to use the window. Our door is always open for you." Shiori closed the door softly behind her as the two continued to stare at where she had been standing.

"On." Kurama finished, his voice softened with awe and love. Then he smiled and shook his head. He looked sidelong at his friend, chuckling at the look on Hiei's face. His eyes were wide, and his mouth was hanging open. "She's right you know. It gets too cold to open the window in the winter." Hiei's eyes narrowed in a glare, which only made Kurama laugh harder. "Maybe I should look for extra eyes. After supper though."


	2. Chapter 2

Eyes in the back of her head, Chapter 2

OK, so I really hadn't intended to continue with this. But I've had some ideas,

and want to see where it goes. So here is part two. Hope you like it!

Kurama sat down at the table with Hiei to his left, and his mother to his right. It was so hard to keep a straight face as Hiei's discomfort was plain for anyone to see. Shiori had a small smile on her face as she started to pass plates around, and as she began serving the delicious food that she had prepared, she kept an eye on the two older boys. Grilled fish with rice, sautéed vegetables with beef, a mixed vegetable salad, and miso soup made the rounds around the table, making everyone's mouths water at the smells.

"Itadakimasu." Hiei said quietly with everyone else, and as they began to eat, Shiori kept the conversation going between her husband and stepson. Hiei had asked Kurama what would be expected of him at the table, and Kurama had done his best to explain the basic table manners that his mother had taught him in the hour or so before they were expected downstairs. Even so, Hiei felt timid and unsure, and kept pestering Kurama throughout the meal telepathically. Which in turn caused Kurama to flinch slightly at each mental intrusion, and Shiori would flick her eyes over to them.

"How did you and Shuiichi meet, Hiei?" Shuichi, Kurama's younger stepbrother asked, after finishing telling his parents about his classes, "Is it true that you fought in the martial arts tournament together 3 years ago?" The boy's excited face beamed with eagerness at the thought. Hiei deadpanned for a moment, and then realized that the boy was talking about Kurama, and the Dark Tournament.

~ _Keep it simple Hiei_.~

"Well, I was looking for a friend of mine that had gone missing a few years ago, and Kurama helped me to find her. We also have…. friends, in common who we trained with for the tournament. And yes, we did team up for the group fights." Hiei's voice was strained with frustration and uncertainty. Kurama smiled at his younger brother and spoke up, to Hiei's immense relief.

"You remember when I went to the mountains to train, Shuichi?" He nodded eagerly "Hiei was there with our other friends too. After the tournament, we've kept in touch, even though we don't go to the same school. There are other tournaments that Hiei has competed in, even though they are quite obscure, since they are all connected to his school." The young boy's eyes were wide with delight, and he started to bounce in his seat.

"Do you think you guys could show me some moves? I want to join the martial arts club at school, but I don't want to look like a fool. Oh man, that would be so cool! I could go to the first meeting and everyone would be so impressed that I wouldn't be a beginner! Oh please say yes!" Shuichi slapped his hands together and bowed as low as the table would permit, while both Hiei and Kurama fumbled for an answer to the heartfelt plea. Shiori chuckled as she started to gather up the empty plates and bowls.

"Give them some time to think about it Shuichi dear. With as many clubs as he's already in, I don't know where Shuiichi finds the time to sleep most nights after getting his homework done. Besides, your father was trained in marital arts; he might be able to show you some of what he learned if you ask him nicely."

"REALLY! Oh Dad, that's awesome! Can you? Please, please, please, please?!" Hatanaka groaned good-naturedly, and rubbed his face with his hands.

"And here I was hoping for a quiet night in front of the tv." He looked over at his son's pleading face, and then sighed before mock glaring at Shiori. "You weren't supposed to rat me out, my love!" At the sad whine from Shuichi, he chuckled "Fine, fine. But you have to finish the rest of your homework first. No more notes from your math teacher saying you're skipping steps, or I won't show you a single thing!"

"Deal! May I be excused please?" Shuichi smiled charmingly, and then ran upstairs when his parents nodded. Kurama stood and gathered the rest of the plates and took them to the kitchen, Hiei following close behind. He was just placing them in the sink with water when Shiori came in, and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Those can wait a bit dear, there's something I want to show you and Hiei. I'll finish them later." Hiei and Kurama glanced at each other, and then nodded to the woman. She went up to her husband and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.

"I'm taking the other two out for a bit dear, so the tv is all yours for a while at least. And you know you want to show him anyways." Hatanaka grinned and kissed her back, before settling onto the couch and relaxing. Shiori grabbed the keys and bustled the boys out of the house and into the car. The quiet in the car wasn't strained, but it wasn't the most comfortable for Hiei either, especially since he rarely rode in the mechanical contraptions.

~ _Fox?~_

 _~No idea Hiei. Let's be patient and wait to see.~_

 _~Hn~_

Shiori drove for about half an hour or so, until they were well outside the city, and then pulled onto a small side round leading into the mountains. After a while longer, she parked in a clearing and turned the car off. After getting out and stretching, she motioned for the boys to follow, then headed onto the path that lead into the trees after the boys joined her.

"Keep up dears. We don't have too much farther to go."


	3. Chapter 3

Eyes in the back of her head, Chapter 3

Welcome to another exciting installment! Please feel free to leave reviews!

Shiori led the boys along the trail as the sun set behind the trees, the light a warm golden glow. As they moved farther into the trees, Hiei and Kurama both began to notice warding strips hung on ropes along the trail they were following. When they came to a staircase, the gate above them was weathered, it's wood exposed, but still in good shape. There was also a sense of being watched, as though they were being judged. Shiori paused and turned to look at the boys, and smiled softly at the apprehension on their faces.

"It is all right dears. I wouldn't have brought you here if it wasn't safe. While this shrine is warded, Shuiichi and I are known here by blood. Hiei, this is for you." Shiori held out a charm on a chain, then she reached for his right arm. "May I? It won't interfere with your own wards." Hiei held out his arm, and Shiori sighed over how ragged the bandages looked.

"What does it do?" Hiei asked as she wrapped the chain

"It's a guest charm. It tells the wards that you are here on invitation, not just wandering in. The wards are very advanced. Anyone can be here; however, if they had violent intentions, the wards would eject them from the premises, forcefully." Shiori glanced up at Hiei with a smirk. "But, if you are a guest… I suppose the best way to explain it would be that this charm will soften the ward. If you start to feel the urge to be violent, it places a compulsion on you to leave, which gets stronger until you either leave the property, or calm down. I need to warn you though," Here her smirk disappeared, her face deadly serious. Hiei noticed she looked more than a little bit like Kurama, when Yoko took over. Kurama was paying complete attention as well. "If either of you actually attempt to cause harm, neither blood nor charm will protect you. The wards in this place are very powerful, and utterly unforgiving."

"Mother, what is going on?" Kurama's voice was very controlled, but the fear was still present. Shiori's face softened, with what looked like regret. She ran a loving hand down his cheek before answering.

"It's something I should have shown you years ago, son. If I had, you wouldn't have had to worry so much when you went to the tournament. But come. As I said, this is a safe place. There's nothing to worry about as long as you behave yourselves." With that, Shiori turned and started to climb the staircase. Hiei and Kurama exchanged a long glance, and Shiori paused to look down at them from a few steps up. Then Kurama shrugged and started to follow her, and Hiei fell into step with him. When they passed through the gate, the very air seemed to change, and they could feel not only spirit energy, but also demon energy making up the protections that surrounded them. The sense of being watched also seemed to sharpen for a few moments, as if assessing the threat they posed, and then settled into a wariness that didn't leave them as they climbed higher.

"This is the Fokkusu* Shrine. It has been in my family for generations beyond counting, though it is fairly obscure. Not very many people come here, but since it is a safe haven, that's actually a good thing. Your Aunt Rozu is the current Priestess in charge Shuiichi." Kurama smiled, recognizing the name of his mother's younger, slightly ditzy, cousin. Though they weren't actually sisters, they had grown up very close friends. She and her daughters hadn't visited very often, but the times they had were fond memories.

"Will Metsuke and Mika be there?"

"Most likely. From what Rozu has said, they are serving as shrine maidens for now." Shiori smiled dreamily. "Following family tradition." As they reached the top of the stairs, they saw a young woman with short brown hair sweeping the stones outside the temple. She looked up as the group walked towards her, and her dark eyes sparkled with recognition.

"Auntie Shiori! Shuiichi! How are you?"

"I'm well Metsuke. How are you doing today?" Kurama waved slightly before coming to a stop beside his mother. Metsuke bowed to them, her white shirt fluttering in the slight wind. The last of the light glowed in the sky, casting her skin in a warm orange tone as twilight descended.

"Oh, I'm doing well. Are you here to see Mother?" Metsuke looked curiously at Hiei, and then back to Shiori when she noticed the charm on his arm. "Who's your friend?"

"This is Hiei, a close friend of Shuiichi. He's the one that has been following me for the past week." Shiori's smile was filled with satisfaction at the looks of surprise on the boy's faces. "He's worse than a cat when something piques his interest, and just as dismissive once his curiosity is satisfied. Actually dear, we're here to see Grandmother Choro." Metsuke giggled, and bowed low.

"Of course Auntie. We'll get Mika to take you, since she needs to practice talking in front of people and explaining the history of the shrine. She hides in the gift shop's inventory room as much as possible, and even Mother has a hard time getting her to greet people. Hopefully with only one person she doesn't know well, she won't be so shy! I swear, I think she's adopted sometimes." Metsuke leaned her broom against the low fence that surrounded the shrine, and strode towards a medium sized building to the right of the walkway. As she opened the door, she called out loudly "Mika! We have visitors! Auntie Shiori and Shuiichi are here, along with a friend. They need you to take them to Grandmother!"

"Why me?! You're better at talking to strangers, you do it!" Came a muffled voice from the back room. Metsuke walked to the back room with a smug smile, and before long a crash sounded through the building. Hiei found himself more and more uncomfortable as the two girls started to yell and bicker with eachother.

"Sound a bit like Yusuke and Kuwabara, don't they?" Stated Kurama, sweat drops forming on his forehead. Hiei simply nodded and tried not to become irritated, as the charm around his arm was faintly rattling. After a few more moments, Metsuke came back to the front room, dragging a younger girl behind her. She looked to be about 17, and her long black hair and pale skin looked better suited to the white shirt and red pants she was wearing than her sister's darker tones. Her green eyes were almost as vivid as Kurama's when she finally raised her face to greet them. However, what shocked Hiei the most were her black cat ears and tail twitching in agitation.

*Please note, I'm using google translate for certain place names, as I'm trying to make this fanfic awesome and don't speak Japanese, much to my sorrow. Also, I'm taking some liberty with the hierarchy of the shrine. From what I understand, priests and priestesses could marry and continue to serve a shrine, but shrine maidens can only serve until a certain age and then either move on to another job, or become priestesses. Thank goodness for artistic license!

Fokkusu = Fox Den

Rozu = Rose


End file.
